It was a beautiful Saturday in July. Seven year old Roger Woodward and his older sister Deanne were riding on a motorboat on the waters of the Niagara River with their family friend Jim Honeycutt. Things were going nice and smoothly until an ugly sound pierced the calm summer air.
PROCK!
“Aw man!” Cried Jim. “The boat propeller busted dead!”
“What should we do?” Roger asked.
“Oh, nothing,” replied Jim. “I’ll just row upstream.”
Jim then proceeded to start manually rowing up the Niagara River–oblivious that he, Roger, and Deanne were only one mile away from destruction.
The Edge of The End
Eventually Jim realized that the river’s current was stronger than he presumed.
“Deanne,” Jim said as he grunted with effort, trying to row upstream with all his strength. “Put on a life jacket, honey, and make sure Roger has his on too.”
Deanne promptly put on her life jacket, and made sure her younger brother had his on as well.
Soon, the boat capsized.
Seven year old Roger found himself landing into the swirling waters, the strong river current pushing him to the edge of the waterfall ahead. Roger saw everyone on the dry land beside the river trying to rescue Deanne. But Roger felt like it was too late for him to be rescued.
Then, he saw watery mist surrounding him.
Followed by darkness.
Because of A Life Jacket
Hospital lights stung Roger’s eyes when he opened them. A nurse stood by his bedside, giving him a little drink.
Where am I? Roger thought. Where’s Deanne? Where’s Jim?
All Roger could remember was being surrounded by mist before darkness took over.
But on that day, July 9 1960, the world remembered Roger’s accidental fall over Horseshoe Falls as “The Miracle of Niagara.”*
According to some articles, the credit on young Roger surviving his fall was given to simply wearing a life jacket.
[Photo Credit © Niagara Falls Review]
Our Life Jacket
What spiritual lesson can we learn from this story?
In Jeremiah 30:7, we read–
Alas! For that day is great,
So that none is like it;
And it is the time of Jacob’s trouble,
But he shall be saved out of it.
According to the Bible, there’s going be a time of trouble that will overwhelm the world like the rushing waters of the Niagara River.
But just like it was Roger’s life jacket that saved him from plunging to his death over Horseshoe Falls– we too, as Seventh-Day Adventist Christian teens, have our own life jacket. It’s the one and only life jacket that will keep us alive and floating once the whole world falls over the edge into the Time of Trouble.
Give Me The Life Jacket
But, you may be wondering, what is this life jacket?
Dear reader, it’s the Holy Bible. In Psalm 119:50, it says:
This is my comfort in my affliction,
For Your word has given me life.
It is God’s Holy Word that gives us life; and it’s what will keep us alive and floating through times of trial and ultimately the Time of Trouble.
Where’s Your Life Jacket?
So, dear reader, where is your life jacket? Do you have it on? Are you fastening the living Words of God’s Book into your mind and heart? If not, I encourage you to just pray:
It’s my hope and prayer that, by God’s grace, we will always have the Life Jacket of His Holy Word in our hearts and minds. And that we’ll always take time to fasten it on each and every day, that when this world is pushed over the edge, we’ll still be found alive, floating, and ready to be taken to our eternal home above.
Amen! Maranatha!
*Jim Honeycutt, unfortunately, died when he too fell over Horseshoe Falls. For those who are interested in the details of Roger’s story, please click HERE
“Life jacket of life” – Nice!